Winter on wonder pitch

Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs) Football Club is located in North London. The club is also known as Spurs. Tottenham's home ground is White Hart Lane. The club motto is Audere est Facere (To dare is to do).

Referee Jeff Winter paid tribute to the condition of the White Hart Lane playing surface following the victory over Aston Villa on Sunday.

The pitch withstood a near 36-hour downpour that soaked the south east and it was reported in the media that the game could have been in doubt. As it transpired - thanks to the work of grounds manager Darren Baldwin and his team - the pitch was obviously greasy, but remained a firm and true surface for the game.

Winter went as far as to suggest it is the best pitch he has officiated on this season.

"When I think back to refereeing at Tottenham about three or four years ago, if we had had half the rain we've had I think the game would have been off a day ago," he reflected after completing his post-match warm-down.

"The pitch was absolutely unbelieveable - probably the best I've been on this season in the Premier League.

"With a lot of the pitches this year the top surface is flaking away a little bit, harder underneath and crumbly on top.

"In view of the rain we've had this pitch was fantastic, it was in great condition."

Winter did concede, however, that he was harbouring slight doubts over the fixture going ahead as he made his way to the Lane.

"Coming down we were going through floods of water and I was wondering what it was going to be like when we got to the ground. We looked at the pitch, it was first class and, even though it rained up to kick-off and through the game, it stayed true.